Yannic Seidenberg, who won silver at the 2018 Olympics, had his doping suspension reduced by 18 months due to a deal between WADA and Germany’s National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). Initially scheduled to last four years, the ban will end in March 2025.

After appealing the original judgment, the long-serving German winger Seidenberg had his doping suspension reduced by 18 months. He finished second at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, losing 4-3 in overtime against the Olympic Athletes from Russia. A harsh penalty that might have terminated the international player’s career was a four-year suspension, which the Villingen-Schwenningen native had first faced. Regardless, a recent ruling upheld a deal between the NADA and the WADA, allowing him to return to competitive activity by March 2025.

Seidenberg, who was 40 years old at the time, failed a doping test in January 2022 while competing for EHC München of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) due to elevated testosterone and the banned chemical DHEA. He claimed to be “under medical treatment” and had asked his doctor not to prescribe any illegal drugs as an excuse for his actions. Despite this, Seidenberg’s professional playing days were likely over as the tests showed high amounts of banned medicines, prompting NADA to issue a four-year suspension.

Prohibition of Doping Reduced

According to hockey betting predictions, criminal charges against Seidenberg and his doctor for breaking Germany’s anti-doping legislation were brought up in May 2024, further complicating matters. However, the athlete got his suspension reduced after appealing to the CAS. In a statement issued on Wednesday, NADA said that they had decided to reduce his penalty from 24 months to 12 months, with an extra six months shaved off because of procedure delays that were not the player’s fault.

As stated by the relevant authorities, Seidenberg was found to have violated the Anti-Doping Rule (ADRV) by the German Institute of Arbitration (DIS), which resulted in his being declared “ineligible for four years starting from 14 September 2022, with all results obtained between 19 January 2022 and 14 September 2022 disqualified.” ” His ban will so conclude on March 14, 2025. The veteran forward, now a free agent, may return to the ice, although his life has been marked by scandal and uncertainty in recent years.

The doping scandal did not affect Seidenberg’s 2018 Winter Olympics silver medal. This landmark achievement is still a high point of his career. Although it seems similar, Dennis, his elder brother, who played in the National Hockey League and was part of the 2011 Stanley Cup-winning Boston Bruins team, overcame it differently.